Supervisor Asks Residents to Protect Workers

JULY 23, 2007, FARMINGVILLE, NY­Brookhaven Town Supervisor Brian X. Foley reports that employees working at the Town of Brookhaven’s Materials Recycling Facility are encountering an increasing number of needles, syringes, lancets and other home-use medical items showing up on the hand-sorted recycling line. The Supervisor strongly encouraged residents to properly dispose of potentially harmful medical waste.

   “The safety of hard-working town employees at the recycling facility is of paramount importance to me,” said Supervisor Foley. “I strongly encourage all residents to dispose correctly of potentially dangerous medical waste products.”

   Residents who use disposable sharps and medical items at home are reminded that once used, these items become potentially hazardous medical waste products that must be disposed of safely, either through their local hospital, or sealed in appropriate containers and discarded with their regular household garbage, not in their recycling container.

   Residents need to be watchful that recyclable containers containing medical waste are not mistakenly placed in their Curby can. These containers must be placed in their regular garbage can so that they can be properly incinerated through the Town’s waste to energy program.

   Acceptable containers include:
      • Shatterproof, leak-proof, puncture-proof, screw top, hard plastic containers with lids tightly sealed with heavy tape.
      • Leak-proof metal (not aluminum) containers with lids tightly sealed with heavy tape.
      • Official red sharps containers available at pharmacy chains.
      • Do not use glass or clear plastic containers. Glass breaks. Drug abusers can see needles through clear plastic.

   Place the sealed container in your regular garbage can, NOT in your recycling can.

   In the past, diabetics and others using disposable syringes have been directed to dispose of sharps by placing them in impregnable containers such as lidded cans or bleach bottles and discarding these containers, along with other home medical waste, in their regular garbage.

   However, with recycling programs on line, the Town is running into a serious situation with bleach bottles and coffee cans containing sharps showing up on the recycling line.

   Recyclables collected from curbside are collected separately from garbage that is incinerated. Recyclables are brought to a specialized facility where they are hand-sorted. When coffee cans or bleach bottles containing medical discards are crushed, the sharps fall out onto the hand-sorting line, posing an immediate danger to the people who are doing the hand-sorting. IV tubing and other home treatment medical equipment also show up on the recycling line.

   The town asks that patients please be careful to never place bottles or cans holding medical waste into their recycling containers.

                Local hospitals may have a drop-off program. Call for information:

                • Brookhaven Memorial Hospital 654-7718

                • Mather Memorial Hospital 476-2808

                • St. Charles Hospital 474-6000

                • University Hospital at Stony Brook 632-6410

                • L.I. State Veterans Home (Stony Brook) 444-8790

___________________________________________________________________

*********************************************************************************************

Resident John D. was served on 9/21/06 with a noise violation ticket by Town of Brookhaven Code Enforcement/Public Safety Department Sgt. Mancuso [badge 803] without the officer ever hearing the supposed noise. John was playing negative white noise in attempt to protect himself from loud gunshot noises coming from the Trap & Skeet Range across the street only 100' away. 2 public safety cars and 3 police cars responded to the complaint. More information to follow. Just in from John: Here are the events leading to the summons: I plugged in my receiver and turned it on around 12:30. It was on for a little over 30 minutes when the Public Safety car pulled up. I went outside, turned the volume off and then walked across the street to speak to the officer [Officer Brown -badge 1226]. He told me that neighbors had complained about the noise. I said that it was strange that my neighbors were complaining since the neighbors on either side of me were not home at the time, and we’re the only three houses in the vicinity. Officer Brown said that he couldn’t divulge the source, I said I understood. I told him that the receiver was setup to negate the sound of the gun shots, in which he said it seemed obvious to him and that he would write down that the noise has stopped. He DID NOT warn me that if it continued there would be repercussions, he simply said that “the noise has stopped”. He asked for my name, I gave it to him and he was on his way. After about 20 minutes of silence, the gunshots started again. I turned up the volume and once again it drowned out the gunshots so that I could work. After about 15 minutes I decided to turn the receiver off. Ten minutes went by when 2 Public Safety cars pulled up. One was Officer Brown; the other was Sgt. Mancuso [badge 803]. The Sgt. came out of his car, with a determined look on his face, and told me the neighbors complained again and that “I had been warned” and he would issue me a summons. Keep in mind that the Sgt. had not heard any sound for himself because the receiver was already off! I told the Sgt., that if he gave me a summons he must issue a summons to the Trap & Skeet vendor for the same exact reason. He argued back insisting that he did not have the authority and that the Park Police would have jurisdiction for that summons. I explained to him that the Park Police transfer my calls to Suffolk Police, who in turn send it back to Public Safety. This must have frustrated him because he had Officer Brown call Suffolk Police saying that I was being “resistant” and that they needed help as soon as he heard that I told him I was going to call Park Police to have a summons issued to the vendor. I called twice and all I got was an answering machine; they never showed up. Three Suffolk Police cruisers arrive! Now, I’m the only man standing there with 5 Suffolk Police Officers and 2 Public Safety Officers. Apparently, Sgt. Mancuso felt that he would need the help of 5 Suffolk County Officers to issue one noise summons to a man who just wants to get an acceptable answer without a political run-around! I explained to the officers that I had no problem accepting the summons. My argument was why Sgt Mancuso could not fully explain why he couldn’t issue a summons to the vendor after I explained to him that Supervisor Foley said publicly the range was in direct violation of the town noise law. Also, Sgt Mancuso was “passing-the-buck” to Parks Police, who pass it to Suffolk Police, who pass it back to Brookhaven Public Safety. I told them I was tired of being jerked around. Suffolk Police couldn’t answer my question, Parks Police couldn’t answer my question, and certainly Sgt Mancuso couldn’t answer my question. So, I took my summons, wished them all a “good” day and everybody went on their way. BTW: The summons was incorrectly filled out; Officer Brown set the appearance date to 9/21 at 9am, when this whole event didn’t end until 9/21 2pm. I called Public Safety to complain about the gun noise once again, (it was only a matter of 10 min.). He and Mancuso showed up and did nothing about the noise. I also told Brown of his mistake. It just goes to show that they have no clue how to fill out a summons, let alone dictate who has jurisdiction to issue summonses. - John D.

**********************************************************************************

Suffolk Life Article 9/20/2006: County Executive Steve Levy(D) drew a parallel to when he represented Ronkonkoma residents as a state assemblyman and quality of life issues that arose between the Islip Composting Center and neighboring communities. "While the more telling question is on the health impacts, composting facilities CAN CREATE A NUISANCE on residents when they want to keep their windows open, or if they have a barbecue with their neighbors." Levy said. " I saw firsthand at the Islip Composting Center HOW THAT CAN IMPACT PEOPLE." So.... As County Executive, Steve Levy(D) re-opens dangerously unhealthy gun range?...within 100' of a school bus stop and homes in the growing community of Yaphank on 7/15/06.

*******************************************************************************